Bracket with trot-line ring



Dec. 1, 1953 A.-c. WISEMAN BRACKET WITH TROT-LINE RING Filed July 28, 1950 Albert C. Wiseman INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES eATsNr OFFICE BRACKET WITH TROT-LINE RING Albert 0. Wiseman, Crooksville, Ohio Application July 28, 1950, Serial No. 176,462

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to simple and practical attachment accessories which, when fastened to the gunwales of a row boat handily help the trawler, fisherman, or other occupant of the boat to more easily maneuver the boat and to temporarily moor the boat while checking and otherwise handling the usual drop lines carried by the trot-line.

The task, as all fisherman know, of running a lengthy trot-line is fraught with difficulties, especially if the water be at all rough and choppy. It is often desirable, if not necessary, to momentarily moor or anchor the boat close to the chosen drop line which hangs down in the Water. Various modes of holding the boat substantially still until the drop line is examined, originally baited, re-baited or otherwise handled involves time and eifort. Different fishermen, especially if there be a single occupant in the boat, resort to all sorts of makeshift methods of dropping anchor, tying up to the trot-line, attempting to hold the boat by placing an oar over the trot-line and so forth.

There has long been a practical need for simple fixture or bracket means which may be carried by the walls of the row boat at a convenient point with the means so made that the trot-line may be separably connected thereto. Since some trotlines range a mile or more in length and may have hundreds of drop lines attached to and suspended therefrom at distant intervals, the frequent momentary stopping of the row boat in relation to the trot-line calls for easy-to-use and accessible means. Therefore, it is another object of the invention to employ simple brackets.

These are suitably fastened to the upper edges V brackets attached to opposite gunwales of the boat;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of one of the attachments by itself;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a modified attachment; and,

Figure 4 is a view showing the attachment of Figure 3 mounted on the gunwale of a row boat.

Referring now to the drawings by lead lines and reference numerals and with respect first to Figure 1, the numeral 6 designates a trot-line anchored at one end as at 3 and anchored at the opposite end as at ID. This trot-line is provided, if desired, with buoyant floats (not shown) at longitudinally spaced points. and is essentially provided at intervals or longitudinally spaced points with depending so-called drop lines l2. The latter are not detailed because the reader is aware that a trawl, or trot-line as it is alternatively called, is usually a stout rope of considerable length with individual smaller ropes attached thereto and hanging therefrom. The smaller ropes are provided with sinkers and baited fish boat, said bracket being provided with an integral upstanding ring, the ring being split or open at its top to allow the trot-line to be inserted and removed and said ring being preferably braced on the bracket for stability.

Other objects and advantages will'become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings wherehooks.

The row boat in which the fisherman, trawler, or other occupant sits is denoted by the numeral 14. This is an ordinary row boat and the side walls or gunwales are denoted by the numerals l6 and 18. In practice, it seems desirable to use at least two duplicate oppositely disposed trot-line attachments on each row boat. These are shown diagrammatically in Figure 1 where they are positioned at points opposite to each other.

Each attachment is basically the same though two different types are shown in the drawings. In Figure 2, the so-called fixed attachment is denoted by the numeral 20 whereas in Figures 3 and 4 the applicable and removable attachment is denoted by the numeral 22.

Referring to Figure 2, the attachment 20 comprises a flat plate or equivalent bracket 24 which is applied to the top surface of the gunwale and is provided with holes 26 to accommodate screws or other headed fasteners employed for securing the plate fixedly on the gunwale. The trot-line accommodation ring is denoted by the numeral 2 8 and this is of comparatively rigid wire and the ring is split and the spaced ends define an entrance or so-called mouth 30. The numerals 32-32 designate diagonal braces which have their adjacent ends connected with the spaced ends 34 of the ring and the opposite outer ends joined rigidly to the corresponding ends of the plate bracket.

The readily applicable and removable type trotline attachment 22 is basically the same as that shown in Figure 2. The only difference is in the adapter or attachment means. That is to say, instead of using the flat plate 24, it is desirable to 'often use the channel-shaped bracket 36. This comprises a web or bight portion 38 and side flanges 40 and 42. The flanges fit down over the gunwale as shown in Figure 4 and are held in place by the set screws 44. In this form of the invention, the split ring and braces are the same as already described and therefore the same numerals employed in Figure 2 are also employed for corresponding or like parts in Figures 3 and 4.

As before stated, the trot-line accommodating attachments may be used singly or collectively. As a general rule, they are used in opposed pairs as shown diagrammatically in Figure 1. In any event, the opening 39 in the split ring is sufliciently large to permit a stout trotline to be passed thercthrough and momentarily lodged in the confines provided by the main portions of the ring. In the circumstances, the fisherman may row up close to the trot-line, stretch a portion of the trot-line across the row boat, transversely, and hook or hitch the respective split rings to the trot-line. With the row boat momentarily or temporarily moored on the trot-line, the fisherman may draw in his cars, and have both hands free to provide unhampered access to the nearby drop line on the trotline.

When running the line across the boat with the line dropping into rings while baiting or handling droplines, the boat will automatically straighten up with the current without using the oars or without moving the boat. The holders may be used at any place on the boat desirable to hold. anchor rope, fishing poles, etc. from sliding on the boat.

In Figure 2, the wire 32 not only braces the ring in center but also acts as a guide to make it easy to drop the trot line into the ring. By using these holders it is easy for one man to run the line without getting wet or holding the line.

In certain instances, it has been found possible to hitch the trot-line to the row boat by way of the hitching rings 28 and to guide the boat along the trot-line substantially parallel thereto and somewhat as shown in Figure 1. line is taken up, examined, baited or re-baited or the catch is taken off and put in the boat. The drop line is released and will ride on through the split rings in an obvious manner as the boat moves along relative to the trot-line.

Each drop It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to an actual practice, if desired.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. Means whereby a row boat may be detachably and slidably moored on a conventional trotline for a time sufiicient to allow the trawler or other occupant of the boat to lift drop-lines for baiting and other purposes wherein brackets are, as is customary usable in opposed pairs on the gunwales of said boat; an improved trotline bracket comprising a rigid base adapted to be separably but fixedly mounted on the gunwale of the boat, a stout wire ring having a marginal portion contacting and attached rigidly to the centra1 top portion of said base and rising vertically therefrom, said ring being split at a point diametrically opposite to said attached por tion and providing spaced apart terminal ends spaced only distances sufiicient, of predetermined size, to allow the trot-line to be readily inserted and removed, the distance between said terminal ends being just slightly greater than the diameter of the trot-line, and a pair of brace rods, said rods being longitudinally aligned and disposed in outwardly and downwardly inclined positions in respect to the base, the outer ends of the rods being anchored on the outer end portions of the base and the inner ends being rigidly attached to the respective terminal ends of said ring and being flush with said terminal ends.

2. The structure specified in claim 1 wherein said base is in the form of a channel, one of the flanges of which is provided with setscrews, the unattached intermediate portions of said rods being spaced from said base.

ALBERT C. WVISEMAN.

invention, what is References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number W Name Date 14,565 La Baws Apr. 1, 1856 18,095 Holmes Sept. 1, 1857 87,751 Bachelder Mar. 16, 1869 221,914 Dowling Nov. 25, 1879 316,997 Murch May 5, 1885 1,710,697 Gilbert Apr. 30, 1929 2,469,443 Reiter May 10, 1949 

